KAIZEN

Tactical Martial Arts

KAIZEN

Tactical
Martial Arts

CQC (Close Quarters Combat) is a tactical concept that involves physical confrontation between several combatants at short range.

Combat is wild, unpredictable, and spontaneous. You must develop instinct, overcome fear and doubt, and unleash your arsenal to it’s full capacity. Memorizing forms or scoring points only inhibits your ability to fight. When the fight is true, there are no rules, no referees, no time outs… there is only survival, and your ability to utilize situational awareness and adapt spontaneously.

During training, you will be tested both physically and mentally. You will be hit, it will oftentimes hurt. Your ego will be bruised. I’m not here to waste your time, I’m here to train you. I will take you as close to the reality of the fight, without compromising your safety. I expect my students, kids or adults, simply to train at their highest level every time, and on their own. We are not here to boast about rank, style, or title… we are here to train.

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Evolve And Discover

Rank, Status, and Title mean nothing. Let go of your ego.

I’m not here to change your mind or fill you with ideas. If you train with me, then you already know what’s missing in your style, or at least realize something’s missing, and you are not satisfied… so now as a result you’re here with me.

People that train with me, they are not sheep, nor do I treat them like one. They don’t blindly follow the herd, and they recognize the concept and approach here is unique, and unlike anything they’ve seen elsewhere.

For my fighters, these are more than individuals with the courage to get in the ring and fight. They’re not just tough people willing to take a punch… they know that alone doesn’t make one a great fighter. Beyond “toughness”, there must be instinctive talent. Beyond martial arts… we discover our own signature style.

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Being More
Than a Martial Artist

It’s the journey that shapes us… not the destination.

If you are like me, then you are searching for more. This is what led me to train under the fighters from France and Tahiti I spent so many amazing years with. They changed everything for me, and I never saw martial arts the same way since then. Martial Arts training is an internal search, and through exhausting, intense, and consistent training, it is about discovery.

I continue to train myself, simply because it is my passion. It’s in my veins to train. Over my lifetime, I have acquired a level of skill which I share with anyone serious and passionate about their training. If you are searching for more in your training, then I will share my time with you.

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I Train For Me…
I Teach For You.

If you are truly seeking freedom in martial arts, I will train you to discover your way.

A lifetime ago, I threw away my uniforms, trophies, titles, and belt titles. I’ve never looked back with any regret since freeing myself from the restrictions and limitations of style, title, rank, and above all… ego.

I often use the analogy of comparing martial artists to musicians. Some people read the notes, others feel the music. If you place a piano in a room, and have a dozen different pianists sit down and begin to play, you will hear a dozen unique styles of music, all from the very same instrument. It’s so easy to know when the music being played comes from passion and emotion, vs. notes on a page. So you must ask yourself when it comes to your training, “Who’s music have you been playing?” “Yours… or someone else’s?”

To restrict anyone to a single method of fighting and tradition created lifetimes ago, by someone who blindly followed another person, is like having the blind leading the blind. Martial Arts is not about restrictions or rules, it’s about freedom and expression. There is a foundation which exists, as to how our bodies move and minds think, beyond the foundation of physics is the freedom of martial arts you’ll learn to discover. To do this, you have to unlearn, what you have learned.

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Tactical Stick & Knife

These are the only two weapons I teach beyond open hand.

I spent my youth and early years of martial arts playing with Sais, Nunchucks, Tonfas, Bos, and Swords. I pretended because of my training, that I actually knew how to fight with them, since I had memorized dozens upon dozens of traditional forms. Sure, I can perform fast twirls and spins, toss a weapon in the air and catch it. I know now, that was all a dance, a curtain of illusion to sell the idea of being able to fight.

However there are two melee weapons beyond open hand skills worth training with… the Stick and the Knife. They exist in our modern world, and present a practical and present need to learn how to use and defend against in our society.

Developing a tactical knowledge with the knives and sticks only enhances ones ability to strike, maneuver, redirect, and adapt. An opponent using a broken beer bottle is no different than one wielding a knife or stick. As I develop your ability to utilize these weapons, you’ll better understand how to fight against them. You’ll develop the ability to effortlessly blend the three tactics of stick, knife, and open hand combat, largely due to the fact they all feed off each other and seamlessly flow together.

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Outdoor Training

The World and Elements are Our Arena.

You may have noticed all the “Outdoor Photos” on my website! While we all grow accustomed to training indoors, in a safe, secure, and private area, with the luxuries of air conditioning, smooth flooring, and open spaces… Real life arenas are never quite so forgiving or accommodating.

Survival is about adaptation. Traditional martial artists grow dependent on point sparring in open spaces and playing pretend self-defense their partner allows them to perform a dozen and one techniques they’ve rehearsed and memorized for their demonstration. The MMA fighter is convinced all fights end on the ground, and that while he holds his opponent in a choke hold on the floor of the bar, no one will decide to take a beer bottle to his head to get him off their friend.

This next statement may be somewhat extreme… but regardless, it’s my adamant belief… The world of martial arts is a lie. There is no ultimate style, no perfect defense, no unstoppable technique, no perfect situation. If someone claims they know exactly what they’ll do if someone throws a punch, it’s likely they’re an idiot or a liar. There is no way of knowing exactly what you’ll encounter until you’re in the moment. There is only the ability to adapt, respond, react, and overcome. You must have situational awareness and if you can’t adapt, then your style is worthless.

This is why I often take training outdoors. Aside from the inspiration I find training in beautiful locations and brilliant sunsets, it’s important to throw the elements of the world against us. To train on uneven ground, with the sun and heat and wind and rain beating down on us. Are you a TKD guy in a tightly confined space with no room for a spinning head kick??? Are you an MMA grappling holding one man in a headlock while dealing with multiple opponents??? The world doesn’t care about your style or rank, and your memorized form won’t condition you to spontaneously adapt to elements around you.

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Sparring and Safety

There are no memorized forms here. No preset combinations your partner allows you to perform while they pretend to attack you. However there is still sparring.

Initially, sparring can be a frightening concept for many students, and especially parents. Understandably so. Too many unqualified trainers have no idea how to safely introduce and monitor the most important and rewarding aspect of a students training. Similar to how I approach self-defense concepts and drills, sparring is highly controlled and students are introduced to this through specific drills and an evolution in their training.

Beginners do not spar, and as they progress through their training, the drills become more complex, however their control, confidence, and experience enhance the safety of sparring. If I am to develop ones ability to fight and defend themselves or others, there is no better approach than this.

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I Am the Storm

This quote speaks volumes to me…

It is not a quote about violence or fighting, or anger and lack of control. In fact, it is the exact opposite of anything negative. What I discuss next, is not in any way “crying a river” about my life, it is my battle cry.

I was NOT born into a life of privilege. In fact, I was born with a death sentence. I was born with “Wilms Tumor” in my left kidney. The doctors told my mom, “Take him home, and so he can live through the next week with you.” Forty years later… I’m still here. While I now only have one kidney, I’ve lived a complete life and have always strived to achieve any goal I’ve sought after. My favorite activity is doing what others mocked me for even attempting… the impossible. I’ve traveled the world, studied martial arts in foreign lands, I play with Tigers and Lions, I’ve worked in films with celebrities, ride motorcycles, skydive, and ski in the mountains. I live my life… I withstand the storm.

This has not at all been an easy endeavor. Everything I’ve had or have, I’ve worked for, with my own sweat, blood, and tears. It’s been a life of sacrifice and hard work and against all odds, I continue to fight for what’s most important to me, my life. Having worked for all I have, makes me appreciate it all the more.

The mentality of “Being the Storm” is beyond merely surviving the challenges life throws at us, it’s about embracing them as opportunities to test ourselves and overcome what others think to be impossible. My goal is to inspire my students by “walking the talk” and “leading by example”. “I’ve never known a strong person with an easy past”. I challenge my students, training is not always easy, and demands the most from them… however the reward is priceless. Students gain a level of confidence they never knew they had. To “Be the Storm”, is about prevailing over and embracing challenges, rather than giving up.